subjection
by minmb82
Summary: nothing interesting


p class="MsoNormal"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"Chapter /span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"13/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; tab-stops: 18.0pt;" align="center"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemKoira, 16 Demaa, 4405, Faey Orthodox Calendar/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanTuesday, 25 March 2019 Terran Standard Calendar/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanKoira, 16 Demaa, year 1330 of the 97supth/sup Generation, Karinne Historical Reference Calendar/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemKMS /emTianneem, Orbiting Prakka 21-C, Andromeda/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWith deliberate slowness, as if procrastination might change what was coming, Jason allowed Mai and Dera to slide the outer robe of his formal robes over his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDera held it in place as Mai started wrapping the red sash around his waist, and he could feel the extra weight of the garment on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven though spiders were microscopic, the fact that there were nearly 16,000,000 of them infused into the fabric of the outer robe, inside the lining between the inner and outer layers, added weight to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNearly two konn of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe garment was carefully made to carry the spiders, but didn't require any special material or shielding to protect them from the ionic field technology the Benga employed to short out weapons carried through a security station./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe reason was surprisingly simple; the spiders themselves had no power style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWithout a battery or power pack, the spiders were too small to be shorted out by the ionic field unless they were powered up, the field just didn't have enough material to interact with to short out the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe spiders were too emsmall /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanto be shorted out by the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo long as they weren't activated, the tests Myleena ran showed that they could pass through the ionic field without being style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo, so long as they didn't increase the power on the broadcast node to reach the spiders and activate them, the spiders could be carried through an ionic field security station safely./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe let his guards tie his sash, the red sash of a married man, his expression stoic and his thoughts style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was going over the plan, over and over in his mind, making sure that he knew every step of it, so that he always knew where he was going, where to go next, and what his contingency option was if his path was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanKraal and Miaari had designed a highly involved plan that covered virtually any possibility, and gave him 19 separate places to go to get off the planet, from beacons to the frigate that was already on E Chaio and lurking under the waters about 50 kathra style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd if all of those failed, he had 15 separate safe locations within 20 kathra of their capitol building where their sensor network couldn't find him, places he could go and hide while they came up with a new plan to get him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had multiple options, but all of them depended on one thing…him getting out of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was his major responsibility, and what he'd spent most of his time training to prepare to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll he had to do was get out of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce he did, the plan took over, and it would get him home./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe just had to get out of the building./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDera smoothed the lapels of the outer robe and then patted them, then she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek gently before she stepped style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned and looked at himself in the mirror, and saw that the robes looked just like his normal ones, just with a few tiny style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't wearing his emoye/em wood medallion, the one the emshaman/em gave him, because there was too much risk he might lose style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe also wasn't wearing his gestalt, because there was too much risk he might lose style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUnlike the tactical built into his arms, a standard gestalt could be taken off of him relatively style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe robes were new, so they were immaculately clean, arrayed perfectly upon him to look quite nice, and fit him just style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis hair had been cut just before he put on the robes, so it too was neat and orderly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe one thing that looked different was the face staring back at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was wearing such a grim expression that he almost didn't recognize himself./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut, there was no reason to avoid style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was ready, and that meant that it was time to go./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe didn't send, he just looked over to Aya, and gave a single style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe nodded in return and turned towards the bow of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemThe Grand Duke is ready to depart,/em she informed Palla, who was on the bridge./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemUnderstood,/em she answered, her thought shivering with concern and worry and fear, which was squelched by her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPalla knew what this mission entailed, and she did not like it one style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut she had her orders, and she had her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemWe'll be under way in just a moment./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe had to resist communing with Jyslin back home, with Dahnai, with Symone's interface…with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd already said his goodbyes, and he didn't want them here while he prepared for the mission, fearing that they would distract style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll he could do was sigh and step away from the mirror, sliding his hands into his sleeves and grabbing the little straps sewn into them so he could completely cover the skin of his hands and arms with the blue material of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe walked over to a window in the executive stateroom and watched as the gas giant started to slowly rotate out of view, as the ship turned and prepared to depart for the rendezvous style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat point was four sectors away from E Chaio, where the emTianne/em would launch the jump-capable civilian transport that would complete the journey utilizing a hyperspace catapult to get the ship there in real time, which was already in position and hidden by Kimdori style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat transport was a Kirri ship, one of their jump-capable civilian passenger ships, and was chosen specifically because it carried no technology the Syndicate could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts engines weren't even real-time jump style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen it jumped out, it would suffer a relativity delay that would cause it to reach its destination in 3,317 style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts destination was Oasis, in the Strands of Trelle. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat was why the ship would be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was effectively an expendable asset, though Myleena was going to track the ship as it entered Flat Space to see how intergalactic space effected its relativity delay, and see how long the ship could stay in hyperspace before the engine failed and it dropped style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo the ship would serve as a scientific experiment once it served its purpose. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe stood at the window for the entire trip to the Stargate, until he had to sit down for the jump style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce they were through the Stargate, the ship turned and almost immediately jumped out in mode two. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ship would cruise in for 37 minutes in mode two to reach the catapult location, which gave Jason more time to think to go over the escape plan, as well as go over his negotiation points with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe emwas/em there to negotiate, and if he could get a peace treaty out of them, he would./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt barely seemed like they'd been in hyperspace for two minutes when the ship dropped back into normal space at a location about 60 light years away from E Chaio, dropping into a zone hidden from Syndicate long range sensors by Kimdori style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe catapult was already here and waiting, tended by two Kimdori destroyers, and the ship dropped back into normal space oriented so he could see them from the window./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemJason, we're here,/em Palla informed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYou're clear to depart whenever you're ready./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI'll never be ready, but that's no excuse,/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he answered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemIs the catapult active?/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanYes./span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAlright./span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned and regarded the 12 guards in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis usual four, Aya, Mai, Kaera, Hara, Deila, Uma, Lelanna, and Brae, who were often attached to him when four guards weren't enough, so he knew them fairly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe gave a sigh and stepped up to them, then reached out and took Aya's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYes, I'll be careful,/em he sent openly to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemAnd thank style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of you. For everything that you've done for me and my style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe House of Karinne would not be where it is if it weren't for you, and I consider myself lucky beyond measure to have known style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's been an honor, my friends./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDon't send like that, Jason,/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" Aya replied, her eyes nearly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemNever accept the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt simply turns it into a self-fulfilling prophecy./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI can't leave this room without telling you how much I love and respect you, girls,/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he told them, looking at their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYou and those who couldn't be here with us. You're not just my style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou're my advisors, you're my teachers, you're my voice of reason and caution to rein in my wilder notions, and you are my style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd it comforts me beyond measure to know that if I don't come back, that my family will be in your care./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe put his hand on Aya's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemMay you forever walk in Trelle's garden./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe gave him a look, and a tear formed in the corner of her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe knew what it meant for him to say something like that, since he didn't believe in Trelle and considered it a sin against God to invoke her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips, then stepped style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe walked down the line, receiving a kiss from all of them, and when he finished with Kaera, he gave a cleansing breath and stepped past them and out the stateroom style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe did not look back./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe could not look back./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs he requested, there was no one in the landing bay to bid him farewell, just two ground crew who gave him a salute with serious expressions as he walked towards the Kirri style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike all Kirri designs, it blended practicality with style smoothly, creating an aesthetically pleasing ship with clean lines and elegant, narrow wings for aerodynamic stability when operating in an style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe transport was the size of a 767 passenger jet, but only had room inside to carry 52 passengers and two pilots because of the size of the jump style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe engines and other systems took up nearly 90% of the volume of the ship, which made the passenger compartment noticeably style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven the cockpit was cramped, forcing him to fight a bit with his robes to step over the center console between the two cockpit seats and get into the pilot's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe settled himself as best he could and strapped in, then he began style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe transport was in no way refitted for modern technology, so it had manual controls and a flight style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd downloaded all the necessary data to fly the ship, so he started the engines with confident movements as he pressed the right buttons in the right sequence./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOnce the transport was fully up and ready to go, he blew out his breath and activated the gravband style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This is Karinne One," he called to the ship's traffic style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Preflight complete, ready to depart."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"You are cleared to depart, Karinne One,"/em Palla's voice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem"May Trelle, Aris, and Demir watch over you."/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Be back soon," he said, then he killed the transmission and picked the transport up off the deck with a gentle shift of the altitude control style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned the ship slowly, getting a feel for how sensitive the stick was in this ship, then he slowly inched his way out of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce he was clear, he changed course and accelerated, heading for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe used the time approaching it to double check the pre-programmed jump coordinates, then ensured that the jump engines were charged and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Karinne One ready to jump," he called to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Is the catapult ready?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"Catapult is in active mode and standing by,"/em Palla answered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Alright then, let's see what this thing can do," he said as he slowed the ship to a top within the ring of the catapult, then he took hold of the hyperspace jump style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe gripped it enough to close the handle switch, then he put his thumb on the side button, both of which were required to unlock the control and enable the ship to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Here goes nothing," he muttered under his breath, then he pulled the control back, which activated the jump engines, and a press of a button on the other side of the console with his other hand caused the ship to jump out of normal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe view in front of him snapped as if someone pulled at the fabric of space to stretch what he saw away from a fixed point in front of the ship, then there was blur of light as the ship jumped into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA quick check of the primary HUD showed him the catapult had worked, he was in a real time jump that would get him to E Chaio in about 44 seconds, so he released the hyperspace jump control and allowed it to return to its original style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't touch the control stick while the ship was in hyperspace, since the controls were locked out by the computer while executing a jump, and the ship dropped back into normal space on its own, going on the data inputted into the navigation jump computer./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey were already here style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA single Syndicate civilian transport was sitting about 400 kathra dead ahead, exactly as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe took hold of the controls and started the ship forward as he activated the comm to emulate shortrange Syndicate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Syndicate ship, this is Confederation Transport One, requesting docking instructions."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Confederation Transport, this is Syndicate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCome alongside our vessel and align your side hatch with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt doesn't matter which style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe'll extend a docking clamp when your ship is at a full stop."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Understood," he answered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe Syndicate transport was three times the size of the Kirri transport, so Jason approached it slowly and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe lined up the port hatch with the hatch he saw on their ship, and then a cylindrical force field extended out from the Syndicate ship and touched the hull around the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ship shivered a little form the contact with the docking force field—a clever use of a hard shield, Jason could admit—and unbuckled his seat style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe then enabled the autopilot's return course, setting it so the ship would execute its flight plan once the Syndicate ship moved about three kathra style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe exact distance was measured in Kirri emara/em, and converted to about 3.116 kathra, or about 2.8 kilometers or 1.6 miles./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe struggled out of the cockpit, smoothed his robes, and then walked to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe prepared for a potential trick by putting a telekinetic shield around himself—the ship had no sensors to tell him if the area inside the docking tunnel was pressurized, then he took a deep breath and hit the hatch style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe space in the tube wasn't pressurized, but it was sealed, so there was a rush of air that startled him a tiny bit as the air inside the transport equalized the pressure with the vacuum that had been within the docking style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had to step down a considerable distance to get his feet down onto the hard shield, and he had to walk carefully towards the transport because the hard shield was as slippery as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe far hatch opened, causing another rush of air as the greater pressure inside the Syndicate ship equalized to the tunnel and the Kirri transport, and he saw a Benga female standing at the hatch, wearing a Syndicate Navy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe knelt down and reached out a hand towards him when he reached the far side, since the hatch was almost over his head, and she pulled him up and onto the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Welcome aboard, your Excellency," the rather attractive female said in Benga, looking down at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"If you would step into the passenger compartment and take a seat, we can get underway."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Thank you," he replied, stepping style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ship was almost completely empty, which surprised him a little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were two Benga guards sitting at the rear of the passenger compartment, and the female was one of two pilots in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey'd installed a chair his size for him right by the hatch, and he stepped over to it and sat down after gathering up his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Uh, your Excellency, is there any way you can inform the crew of your ship that they can close the hatch?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"There's no one in it, madam," he informed her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"So you can disengage the docking style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou won't hurt anyone if that ship decompresses."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The ship will remain here?" she asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It will return on autopilot," he answered with a shake of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Warn your pilot that once he moves far enough away from the ship, the autopilot will engage and the ship will jump out of the system."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm the pilot, your Excellency," she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"And I'll keep that in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere is a lavatory in the back of the transport built for species of your size if style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA galley holding refreshments is right there, you may help yourself," she told him, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The trip to E Chaio will take approximately five divisions, your Excellency."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm aware, Captain," he told her respectfully./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe was honestly surprised there weren't more Benga on the transport, but after just a few minutes, he was justified in his suspicions over how this long trip in was going to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth the guards in the back of the transport were telepaths, and he could feel them very delicately, very carefully probing the edges of his consciousness, trying to unobtrusively test his mental style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth of them were very good, very well trained, but Jason was trained by one of the most skilled telepaths alive, so he could detect everything they were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth the Benga woman and her co-pilot were also telepaths, but they weren't trying to probe him…they were probably telepaths just so he couldn't eavesdrop on their surface style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were obviously told not to talk to him, because the two pilots talked only about ship operations as they accelerated to a sublight cruising speed that would get them to E Chaio in about six hours, then they settled into a comfortable silence once the autopilot was engaged./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIn all, he was a bit pleasantly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo far, the Benga were adhering to the negotiated plan and were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut he also knew that wasn't going to last./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe passed the time on the way in not going over the plan, but thinking of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe used the meditation techniques the emshaman/em taught him to calm him, clear his mind, and focus him on the task at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe did so for a simple reason; just in case they had a telepath he couldn't sense that emcould/em hear his surface style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis way, he gave away nothing, not even personal information, for there were no thoughts there for a telepath to overhear./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe nice side effect of mediation like that was that he couldn't really feel the passage of time, so it seemed like it was just a few minutes after he began that he felt the ship start to decelerate, and that snapped him out of his meditative style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe leaned over and looked through the forward windows of the cockpit and saw the gray and green planet of E Chaio filling it. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We're about to execute a controlled descent into the atmosphere, your Excellency, please remain seated and with your lap restraint buckled," the Benga woman called style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We should land at the Executive building in about thirty measures."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Thank you, Captain," Jason answered in a strong, clear voice./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe pilot was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ship only shuddered a little as it eased down into the atmosphere, and that ended when the ship descended into thicker air and established a shallow descent vector down towards the megacity below, a city that spanned an entire style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJason prepared himself mentally for what was to come as the ship came in, slowed more and more, and then he felt the ship's landing skids style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMoments later, he felt it land./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe unbuckled and stood up as the Benga pilot, three times taller than him, stepped past him and opened the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe stepped in front of it as it opened, and he saw a contingent of about thirty Benga, some in civilian garb and some in uniforms, standing on the edge of the platform style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe stairs were Benga sized, so he had to carefully navigate them while wearing his robes, which made him look a tiny bit undignified as the procession approached style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen he reached the bottom, he smoothed out his robes and tucked his hands back into his sleeves, returning to a dignified posture, as the Benga procession reached style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Your Grace, I am Bol Ven Ar Mek, main executive in charge of appointments and scheduling for the Board," he said, almost smugly, and it surprised Jason a bit he knew the proper way to address him, given there was no such thing as a Duke in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSha Ra must have included that blurb in her reports when she negotiated with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was certainly proud of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It is my honor to escort you to the Board Room, where they are awaiting you."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Thank you, your Excellency," Jason returned in a calm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Please lead the way."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe uniformed guards formed up around Jason and the five government officials, and they started towards the large doors at the far side of the landing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Benga had to walk very slowly because of Jason's short legs, almost looking like they were shuffling along, and he felt several feathery brushes against his mind as the telepaths among them carefully reached out towards him, trying to test his defenses without giving themselves style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't react to it, he simply maintained his towering mental defenses that would give them no way in and continued to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe doors at the end of the pad opened to a long passage, with guards standing at stations about every two hundred shakra or style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was led into the building and quite a ways in, passing through four different ionic field style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't hesitate walking through the first of them, and he made no indication of his relief when the tactical gestalt did not go offline. The shielding had worked!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had to walk through three more of them on the way to the end of the hallway, where the doors of another elevator were set into a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey encountered no other Benga, which told him that they hallways had been cleared for his arrival./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Was your journey here acceptable, your Grace?" the executive asked as they stood before the elevator doors, waiting for them to open./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It was actually quite style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMy complements to the pilot of the transport, your style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was quite skilled, and provided me a relaxing and comfortable trip."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'll be sure to mention that to the Board, your Grace," he replied smoothly as they boarded the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJason turned to face the doors, more than keenly aware of the Benga surrounding him as the elevator started to ascend, going up about twenty floors or so before it slowed to a stop./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe'd seen the building style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew where he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe closed his eyes and focused himself, and then opened them when the elevator doors slid style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey stepped into an antechamber, and he knew that the doors on the far side opened into the Board style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew that this room was filled with sensors and detection systems, and this was the moment of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe walked at the same pace as before as he knew he was being intensely scanned, but he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Kimdori had this scanner tech, they'd tested their SCM extensively against it, and they knew it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo he walked sedately, at a stately pace behind the chamberlain—that was more or less what he was—until they were at the doors leading inside the heart of Syndicate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd since there were no alarms going off or no guards trying to grab him, that told me that their sensors had picked up neither his tactical nor the spiders./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNow he just had to execute the next phase, as Kraal did as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf Kraal held to the plan, he would increase the broadcast node to full power five minutes after Jason entered the room, so he had to stall the Board for fifteen minutes style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would take the spiders ten minutes to get out of his robes and disperse into the room, mainly into the air./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut he didn't think about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't think about the plan, he only thought of trying to get a peace treaty out of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was why he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was the reason he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd he had to keep that firmly in mind./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe doors opened, and the chamberlain led him into the Board Room, the one place in the Syndicate where every Benga wanted to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were 153 chairs arranged at semicircular long tables in three tiers, with the crest of the Syndicate on the floor in the center, a mosaic of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Chairman sat at the center of the top tier, and the others were arrayed around him and down the two tiers by the value of the megacorp they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were 24 guards in the room, standing around the base of the lower tier with four at the doors leading style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe current Chairman was Bal Kib Vai Hu, CEO of the Vilsarti Corporation, the largest and most valuable megacorp in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was by virtue of that net worth that Bal Kib was Chairman; so long as his company was the largest and richest, he would be in control of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJason stopped when the chamberlain did, and he clapped his hands three times at a slow, deliberate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Masters and Mistresses of the Board, the Grand Duke Jason Karinne of the Confederation," he called in a powerful, clear style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Benga motioned him forward with a sweeping motion of his arm, and Jason started forward, keeping a tight grip on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThese were the men that had done so much harm to Aria and the Dreamers, but he had to keep that out of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo think about it would make him angry, and this was not the time or the place to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe walked out onto the gemstone mosaic and stopped, then he bowed to the Chairman fluidly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Master Chairman, exalted members of the Board of CEOs of the Syndicate," he began in a clear, measured voice, "I am Jason Karinne, Grand Duke of the House of Karinne and member of the Confederation of Allied style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI stand before you as the chosen agent of the Confederation to negotiate a permanent treaty of peace between the Syndicate and the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs a show of good faith and hope that we can come to an amicable agreement, I have come alone and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt is my hope that when I leave here, a reasonable and lucrative agreement will have been reached between our governments."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You are quite fluent in our language, Grand Duke," a woman on the lowest tier to his right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was Mem Zee Shi Ba, CEO of Hastra style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You choose your words with the care of a Benga."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It is only proper to use the host's chosen language, Mistress," he answered calmly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It makes me wonder where you learned it."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Part of our initial negotiations with your Third Expeditionary Fleet was the exchange of languages so we could communicate with one another," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"So I learned your language from one of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt is no stretch that I would have the skill of a native speaker."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That's an amusing anecdote, but has no bearing on why you are here," the Chairman called style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"And I find the audacity of your Confederation almost admirable, Grand style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou stand before us now seeking peace after attacking us barely one rotation ago."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe tucked his hands into his sleeves and looked up at the aged Benga with a calm, stony style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"If brevity is what you require, Master Chairman, then by all means let us get to the heart of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYes, the Confederation attacked your shipyard facility just one rotation style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOur intent wasn't to destroy your style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe attack was purely a diversion to conceal our true objective, the removal of the Dreamers on the planet's surface from your custody," he said, which caused all of them to stare at him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"That is what our entire offensive in this galaxy has been about, Masters and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Dreamers, and the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe have taken Atrovet, and have removed the Dreamers there from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe have taken every Oracle that you didn't kill yourself, from both your ships and from your planetside style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe have completely removed the Dreamers and the Oracles from your custody, and now we shall withdraw from this galaxy and return to our style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe have no more reason to be here," he declared in a strong voice./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That's it?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was about the brownskins?" the Chairman asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That is all," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The Confederation has no desire to conquer this galaxy, and we have done what we have done to ensure that the peace treaty that I am here to negotiate will be honored by both sides. We have only one driving goal in this, Masters and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe want you to emleave us alone/em," he said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"So long as you do not send your fleets to our galaxy to make war on us, we will be peaceful style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe do not wish to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe do not wish to take what is style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe have no interest in this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe only want you to respect our borders."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Which you do by invading us," the man to the Chairman's immediate right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was Mor Do Gri Nak, CEO of Emelar Industries, the second largest megacorp in the Syndicate./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It was our belief that so long as you had control of the Oracles, any peace treaty made between us would be violated the measure they predicted that a future war with us would end with your victory," he answered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Without your guarantee of victory, and knowing the full extent of the damage we caused with our small fleet in the short amount of time we have been here, we feel that you will honor a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter all, there is no profit in losing, and you have already tasted the might of the Confederation Combined Military."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey were quiet a long style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could sense they were sending among themselves, betraying the fact that emall/em of them were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"No treaty can be made unless the return of all Syndicate citizens is agreed upon, and the Dreamers are Syndicate citizens."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey are not," Jason answered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They are emmy/em people, Master style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou captured them from the Consortium, and the Consortium abducted them from a Karinne territory approximately twelve hundred orbits style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe didn't know they were here until the Third Expeditionary Fleet entered our galaxy, bringing an Oracle with it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The Dreamers are of a race called the emFaey/em in my language, and there are Faey in the House of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe entire Faey race is telepathic, and so when your fleet brought the Oracle to our galaxy, the Faey on the ships that brought our negotiators to parlay with your Fleet commander sensed her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat warned us that the Consortium invaders from a thousand orbits ago captured Faey and took them back to this galaxy, and over the course of those thousand orbits, you captured their descendents from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat must have been very soon after the Consortium brought them back to this galaxy, given how many there were on Atrovet when we captured the moon," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"So, exalted Masters and Mistresses, I have done nothing more than fulfilled my duty to the Dreamers as their rightful ruler and returned them back to their original home."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe gave them a calm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"So, Master Chairman, exalted Masters and Mistresses, that is where it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe approximately fifty million Syndicate Navy crewmen we have captured after defeating the expeditionary fleet and capturing Atrovet will indeed be returned home to you as quickly as can be arranged, but the Dreamers will not be any part of this negotiation. They are emmy/em people, they are the descendents of members of the House of Karinne who were taken from their homes by the Consortium, and I will not return them to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Consortium kidnapped them from their homes, and I will return their descendents to their rightful place."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Easily claimed, but unproven," the Chairman said flippantly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, I am quite certain you already know that truth, Master Chairman," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The Empress Dahnai Merrane of the Faey Imperium was present at the initial negotiations with Fleet Commander Au Mai Sha Ra, and I absolutely guarantee you that she informed you that there were blue-skinned Dreamers in Galaxy B," he replied style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The Faey are a very visually distinctive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere would be no doubt that the Fleet Commander would recognize her as a Dreamer instantly."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey were quiet for a long moment, sending among themselves style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe stood there with a calm, almost serene expression, hands tucked in his sleeves, hoping that he looked eminently confident and unruffled, which they would construe as believing what he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd they were quiet long enough for the spiders to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe stood there as they began to leave his robe, did nothing that might draw attention as the microscopic machines drifted away from him in the air and skittered away from him on the ground, beginning to spread through the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey didn't leave in such dense numbers that they became visible, so he knew it was going to take a good fifteen minutes or so for them to leave his robe and spread into the room./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"While the matter of the Dreamers is not up for negotiation, the matter of your Naval crewmen most definitely style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe would wish to return them to their homes as soon as is able, for feeding fifty million mouths that produce nothing in return is an expensive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe only need arrange a place for our transports to bring them—"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We are not done with the matter of the Dreamers, Grand Duke," the Chairman said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"There can be no peace so long as you hold our people."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Then I humbly submit a simple solution, Master style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe shall all of us go to where the Dreamers are and ask emthem/em where they wish to dwell," he said in a calm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They are sentient beings capable of making their own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI will guarantee you here and now that any Dreamer that wishes to return to Atrovet shall be allowed to do so, under the supervision of any agent you so authorize to oversee the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI will not hold any Dreamer against their will," he said in a clear style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"And I offer to do it emright style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCall one of your ships to carry us back to my home galaxy, and we will ask the Dreamers where they wish to live. Every single one of them."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Your galaxy?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow are they in emyour/em galaxy?" the Chairman asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We have the technology to travel between our galaxies in a matter of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow do you think we got over here so quickly after defeating your expeditionary fleet, Chairman?" Jason asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"How am I standing before you now?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou say the word, and we will be in my galaxy three divisions after we board a ship to take us style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen you may talk to the Dreamers yourself and ask them where they want to live."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe let them chew over that, and did they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe stood there with his hands tucked in his sleeves for a long time as they were silent, sensing a large uptake in their sending, and the emotions rippling through style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe practiced one of the tricks that the emshaman/em taught him to keep control of his emotions without having to resort to meditation, which kept him calm and alert, observant and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had just reminded them of what Miaari felt was the one thing that their military advisors had been screaming in their ears over their plan to invade the Milky Way with their entire fleet, the Confederation's intergalactic style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe admirals and generals understood that it would put all of Andromeda at great risk if they sent their entire fleet, for it would give the CCM free rein to run wild all over Syndicate territory, and do it for emyears/em, then get the fleet back to the Milky Way in plenty of time to meet the Syndicate's invasion style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanKraal had quite a few amusing recordings of military officers warning, pleading, yelling, screaming, even begging the Board not to send the entire fleet, and Jason's remark had just reminded them of those warnings./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe was quite content to let them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEvery minute they spent debating was another minute the spiders had to spread through the room./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Your proposal is ludicrous, Grand Duke," the Chairman style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The Dreamers are Syndicate citizens, and no peace treaty will be entertained until they are returned home."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe activated the gestalt, giving the amplifiers stacks time to charge, during which he stood silent and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Then there will be no peace treaty," he said in a calm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Under the traditions of my people, you have thirty rotations to prepare."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"For what?" someone sneered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"For death," he replied style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"To put your affairs into order and arrange heirs to your fortunes and your style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Confederation will withdraw from your galaxy and will not wage war upon your planets or your people, exalted members of the Board, for our war is not with the Syndicate's people or her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOur war will be with emyou/em, the men and woman before me nowspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd emonly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOur attacks and operations will be targeted at you and you only, and they will begin in thirty style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe attacks will continue until all of you are dead, and then we will offer your successors the same chance given to you, to sign a peace style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd if they decline, then we will give emthem/em thirty rotations to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd so on, and so on, until men and women sit in those chairs who are willing to listen to reason./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Because we believe that you have the right to understand what is coming, understand style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEverything that is yours is considered a legal and viable target by the forms of war my people style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYour lives, your properties, the institutions holding your money, anything that is yours is considered a target of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat is left after you die will be left alone, for it will no longer belong to you, it will belong to your named style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe do not visit the sins of the parent upon the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs is tradition among my people, we sent you a warning by destroying only one of your holdings, and you did not heed it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"So it comes to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThirty rotations, Masters and Mistresses. You have thirty rotations of peace to make the necessary preparations to pass your estates on to your style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd then we will come for you."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe gave a slow, fluid style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"These negotiations are style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI bid you farewell, exalted members of the Board, and good luck."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe turned around slowly to face the doors to the elevator, and he brought his talent to bear, sensing every mind within five floors above and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe also began to actively warp space around himself, which would turn away any surprise weapon they fired at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe then began to slowly walk towards the doors, seemingly completely ignoring the 153 Benga executives and the guards behind him…who began to emlaugh/em./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Do you really think we are going to just let you leave here, Grand Duke?" the Chairman scoffed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou will," Jason answered without turning his head in a serene, focused voice./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Take this dog into custody," the Chairman style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTwo of the four guards standing at the elevator started forward with nasty smiles, not bothering to draw any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter all, they were three times his size, they saw him as no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe just walked towards them as they quickly covered the distance, reaching out with his talent, reaching within them, and finding his target…which he could only do because he knew exactly where it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe two men staggered to a stop and gasped, clutching at their chests through their uniforms, and then absolute fountains of dark green blood erupted from their mouths as Jason crushed their hearts, which caused instant hemorrhaging in their chest cavities and made the blood flood their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe two men collapsed to the floor, unmoving, as copious amounts of blood spread out in a pool around their heads./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was the first time he had ever had to use his power like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd it did not please him in any way that he was forced to do it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe daintily took hold of his robes and lifted them off the floor before walking between the two pools, not even looking at the two style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe other two men did draw their weapons, and one of them fired at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe blast of energy bent away from him and hit the floor, gouging a black smoking hole in the polished style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe fired again, and again, and yet again, each shot bending into the floor, and Jason reached out an open hand, and then made a bit of a show out of clenching his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe man's eyes rolled back into his head as he went up onto his tiptoes, he convulsed violently, then he collapsed to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe other guard at the elevator doors was sent flying across the room with a casual wave of Jason's hand, crashing into the wall and falling to the floor, where he groaned and feebly tried to roll onto his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a smear of green blood on the wall where he struck it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat was only what could be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn the invisible spectrum of the mindscape, Jason was assaulted by multiple Benga telepaths, working in concert to try to break his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe allowed them to hammer on his psychic walls for a long time—at least within the mindscape—then he countered by tracking each one back to its originating mind and dominating that mind with swift and skilled strikes, surgical in their precision and overwhelming in their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce those telepaths belonged to him, he set them against their brethren, giving the remaining telepathic attackers something much more immediate to worry about./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhen he reached the doors, he tucked his hands into his sleeves again and stood motionless as he split his attention into two major splits and maintained his spatial warp as he began to focus his power on the door, focusing it into the molecular structure of the metal, which began to heat it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA hard shield shimmered into view in front of the tiers, protecting the Board from anyone not on the tiers, as all the remaining guards and several hidden weapon batteries opened up on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll the energy streams bent away from his body and struck the walls and floor around him, filling the air with acrid style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe simply stood there, unmoving, unflinching, his expression stoic and calm, then took two steps back as the metal of the door began to glow red style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd then it began to melt./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Stop him!" the Chairman style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Stop him now!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemYour men can't stop me, Chairman,/em Jason sent calmly, sending openly and so non-telepaths could hear with all the power his gestalt could give him, to impress upon him just how much stronger he was than them, and so everyone in the city around them heard what was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBenga over a hundred kathra away heard him. emAs I think you may have deduced, my telepathy and my telekinesis are far beyond even your most powerful style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYour people have barely /emscratchedem what talent can do, and you are no match for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI could kill everyone in this room with a thought, but I will not, because the traditions of my people grant you thirty rotations of protection,/em he told them with enough power to make a few of their noses begin to bleed. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemBut understand style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn thirty rotations, we will style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMen and women even stronger than I am, with psionic powers you cannot even imagine, powers you cannot style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd since we have our own Dreamers, that means we have our own /emOraclesem, so we will find you no matter where you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd when we find you, we will kill style="mso-spacerun: yes;" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUntil you are no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/emThe molten metal sagged towards the floor, exposing the elevator shaft style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe elevator platform wasn't there, but he wasn't expecting it to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned to face the Board, regarding them through the hail of weapons fire and through the hard shield as a glob of the metal door was pulled up off the floor by his power and was quickly pulled like taffy to form a small disc, and then the glow bled out of it as he drained it of its heat using his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe lifted his robe and put his foot on the dull gray metal and stepped up onto it, then let his robes fall back around it, almost making it look like he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe tucked his hands back into his sleeves and let them just continue to flail at him, bending all their shots Jedi-style back at the automated weapons, destroying them one by one, until the firing slowly petered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe guards looked at him with stunned expressions, but he was looking up at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemIf you would prefer to live, then all you have to do is sign the peace style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut understand this, all of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce the thirty rotations are up, there will be no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere will be no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere will be no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven if you sign a peace treaty after your time is up, you will /emstill style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd after all of you are dead, the life expectancy of your replacements on the Board of the Syndicate will be measured thirty rotations at a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThose are the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey are not style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey cannot be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou will accept them, or you will die./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe disc floated backwards into the hole he melted into the door, the air around it wavering from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemThat choice is yours./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe couldn't resist one final, parting shot, one of his final style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemRight before I put Fleet Commander Au Mai Sha Ra face down in the sand, I told her she had no idea of the dreadful mistake that your people had made by spreading your aggression beyond the boundaries of your own galaxy,/em he sent, his thought adamant, rippling with overwhelming style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYou are not the gods of this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou are a big fish in a small pond, and you have lifted your head out of the water to discover a world of landwalking giants you never knew was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Confederation is just /emoneem of the giants walking beyond your pond, Chairman, exalted members of the Board, and we are nowhere near the most powerful, by a measure that I don't think you can style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere are empires out beyond this galaxy of such unfathomable power that they can fall upon your galaxy like rampaging beasts and eradicate all life in it, down to the last style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd it is my hope that this lesson in humility makes you much more careful should you venture beyond the borders of your galaxy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs big a fish you may be in this small pond you call your home galaxy, you are /emnothing emcompared to the monsters that lurk beyond your shores, monsters so fearsome that even we who can smite you with impunity flee in terror when they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnger /emthemem at your peril./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWarned./span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd with that, he descended out of their view./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe went down far enough to ensure he was out of sight, and emthen/em he wilted on the little platform he made, holding his arms down at his sides as he gave a savage style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe gestalt was running at maximum power for minutes, and it was getting so hot that it was threatening to cook the flesh of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd stood there impassively for minutes while his arms burned from the inside, but he never let them see it, never let them see how much pain he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could barely move his hands, and he had little control over those movements./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt seemed that all of them, even Cybi, overlooked a critical design flaw in the internal gestalt, insufficient heat dissipation during extended style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were heat sinks inserted in the amplifier stacks, but they weren't enough to counter the heat the stacks were putting out with extended use at full style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had to resort to his power to cool them down, prevent his blood from overheating and raising his core body temperature beyond deadly levels, quelling the motion of the molecules of the metal surrounding the gestalt, which effectively cooled them off; heat was nothing more than the vibration and motion of atoms and molecules within their molecular bonds, after style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut the damage had been done, he realized as he stood back style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could barely move his hands, the muscles and nerves had been damaged by the heat, and the insides of his arms were throbbing with considerable style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth of his hands were more or less frozen half-closed, his fingers bent inward from where he was gripping the straps on the insides of his sleeves, and he could barely move his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut he could still move his elbows, mainly since the heat hadn't cooked the flesh around the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis fingers were discolored, almost blackened as if he had severe frostbite, and blisters were forming anywhere his skin was close to the metal endolimb, on his fingers, the palms and backs of his hands, and around his wrists./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[Activate the plan!]/em he communed to Kraal through his memory style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[I'm out of the audience chamber and on the move!]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Understood, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDestination, Objective style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanObjective B and Objective C on standby.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Objective A, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm on my way as soon as I get out of the building.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Mission status?]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" Kraal asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[Mission accomplished!]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Well done, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPersonal status?]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[My hands and forearms are style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll be unable to grab or grasp anything, warn anyone that may try to reach out to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOutside of that, I'm alright.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[ style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe gestalt?]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Operational.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Understood.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe was in the elevator shaft, and thanks to Kraal getting his hands on the building's plans, he knew what was within style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe descended only four floors, then stopped the disc at a grate covering a large air style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe defeated the alarm sensor on the grate and then pulled it out with his power, moved the disc inside, then replaced it, managing to do it without setting off the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was more than large enough for him to stand inside of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew from the plans that the duct extended all the way to a room at the edge of the building, an office with large windows to provide the executive that occupied it with a view, and he could get out through that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would be expecting him at every style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe duct had security in it, part of the paranoia of the Board, so he had to be very careful or he'd set off a sensor that would reveal his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut regardless of that, the building's alarm was sounding, and that meant that the halls were going to flood with security officers, on top of soldiers mobilizing from the garrison attached to the building./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat was why he was in the air duct./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAccording to Kraal's information, the air duct had weight sensors in the metal, and both cameras and motion detection sensors mounted into the ductwork, and he could defeat all of them with his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe disc would keep him off the duct, thus bypassing the weight sensor, and he could blind the cameras and the motion sensors with light style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tricky part was going to be the motion sensors, due to their sensitivity, which according to Kraal's data detected changes in the reflection of infrared light back to a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd have to do it just right, or the change in the infrared light would trip the sensor./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBecause he had to move slowly and carefully, he was only about two thirds of the way through the duct when lights appeared at the grate behind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned to see two armored Benga hovering outside the grate, too small for them to easily fit in it, and their spotlights were right on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe reacted before they did, reaching out and swiftly dominating them, and then he had one of them call out over their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"He's in the air duct on floor 168!" the guard boomed, and the two of them descended quickly out of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey truly believed he was there, when he was on floor style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat would decoy off any security in the office he planned to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe made his way to the end of the duct and dropped down into a large, empty office, then moved immediately to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe pushed towards it with the stiffened claw that was his right hand, and the window shattered, causing a rush of air out into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe carried himself out into the polluted air and looked at his destination, which was a plaza about a kathra away, easily visible from nearly 3,000 shakra in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe saw their civilian traffic crawling all over, but he also saw warmechs arriving on the scene./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFaster than Kraal anticipated./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOh style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDealing with warmechs was part of the plan, which was why Jason had extensively studied the ones they'd captured to learn how they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat would allow him to disable a warmech with his telekinesis, and do it without harming the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut, the empilot /emwas the weakest link within a warmech, at least to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe started angling down so he'd reach the ground well off the campus of the capitol complex, and he had to bend away dozens of shots at him from the building, fired from automated weapon platforms mounted on the sides and from security forces, then he dominated the pilot of the warmech that was rapidly approaching style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't have the pilot give any indication he'd been dominated, not until Jason reached the ground, civilians who had scrambled for shelter when the shots from above started peppering the ground, watching him with slow realization that he was the telepathic voice they heard when the warmech landed right behind him, without him even glancing over his shoulder, then stood in obedient defense of him as he stepped off the metal disc and began to walk towards the beacon./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSlowly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThis was about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJust as he'd slowly strode from the audience chamber, he wanted the Board to see how utterly unconcerned he was at their amusing attempts to stop style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wanted to scare the hell out of them, so their successors would be more willing to sign a peace style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd while his telekinesis may be fearsome thanks to Mrar, it was his emtelepathy/em that made him far more dangerous, especially in a city where he was surrounded by minds to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Syndicate understood the power of telepathy, but they had never encountered a telepath like a gestalt-boosted Generation, who had been trained by one of the most skilled telepaths alive and backed that up with the kind of power that only a gestalt could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd besides, it wasn't spiking his gestalt as much to use telepathy as it did telekinesis./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe dominated warmech was joined by others in short succession, then by several armored infantry, until it looked like he was being escorted down the avenue by an honor guard of Syndicate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey surrounded him, more or less shielding him from distant snipers with their great size, with the warmechs surrounding them to provide more protection, and all of them were firing on soldiers and warmechs that weren't dominated, actively protecting him from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJason had to fend off several Benga telepaths in their attempts to break his domination; they'd learned not to try to attack emhim/em, so they were going after those he had style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo while he was walking sedately, with a serene expression, under that he was a blitz of activity as he protected his little parade from Benga telepaths while they protected him physically./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe did Ryn proud./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe procession walked nearly half a kathra before the Syndicate revealed its counter, in the form of a Naval destroyer slowly descending over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat, Kraal had predicted would happen, and that finally spurred him to move with much more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could turn a shot from a line vessel away, but the damage it would do when it hit something put him at risk, despite being able to warp style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe heat of the blast would bleed through the warped space, and it would cook him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe only had to go about another kathra, so he had one of his warmech pilot puppets pick him up and engage his glide style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis pet warmechs left the infantry behind, whom he simply knocked out./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd then he hit his first snag in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Objective A impossible, switch to Objective M,]/em Kraal instructed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[What's going on, cousin?]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Diffusion field is up over A's location,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA bridge couldn't form a nexus in a diffusion style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Field does not cover Objective M.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Switching to Objective M, roger,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he informed, then had the warmech pilot carrying him turn down another avenue and sent the remaining warmech pilots to attack the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut more destroyers were starting to descend, he saw, and that caused him to consider not being such an easy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanObjective M was a beacon set inside one of the old abandoned mass transit systems, which put it underground and accessible by three different routes through the warren of underground tunnels under the surface of the city./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanGoing under the surface had benefits and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe benefits were that he was out of the line of fire by the line vessels and it was easier for him to hide, given that their sensor network had issues penetrating the ground, but the drawback was that down in the tunnels, he had much more limited style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat confined him to pre-built and pre-determined routes, and if they got scanners down there and managed to catch him in a long tunnel with no side passages, they could just stack the entrances and trap him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were three ways to reach Objective M underground, but one of those paths offered him a bit of flexibility, since it passed through one of the abandoned residential areas for workers, and so it went through a large gallery with streets and alleys, giving him room to maneuver. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat was his best style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStaying topside was going to be suicide once those line vessels got into a firing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Benga wouldn't care about killing a few thousand civilians, so they would most definitely fire on him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe warmech pilot carried him past three more megabuildings, then slowed to a stop at an unassuming grate by a sidewalk and set him down style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe then sent it off to attack the destroyer with the others, lifted the grate with his power, and then showed off a bit by picking up his own weight with his telekinesis and lowering himself down into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe replaced the grate over him and descended down into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe grate was a utility line access point, so the tunnel running down at the bottom carried power conduit and pipes, probably for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew that the tunnel would intersect with another tunnel that would lead to an old unused serviceway that would get into that residential style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOn the far end of the gallery was the subway tunnel the old mass transit system used for its trains, and that would take him to Objective M./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[I'm going to need night vision gear,]/em he told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Are any agents close enough to access an equipment cache?]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Get to the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA night vision mini-cam will be waiting for you that you can merge with,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" Kraal answered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[ style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanKeep them away from me, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't want them to find out we have agents on E Chaio.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[The drop will be made before you arrive.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[ style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEn route.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe knew they knew he was in the tunnels, but they'd yet to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was forced to move along the tunnel without his eyes, using a hand on the wall and counting his steps to know when he was getting close to the intersection, which took several long style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe approached the intersection and got close enough to sense the biogenic chip in a camera only about a tikra style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe fetched it with his power and affixed it to his forehead, just over his right eye using the skin bonder, and then he merged to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tunnel became visible when he accessed the camera's feed, splitting his attention so it overlaid his normal vision and syncing the camera to his eyes so the camera always tracked with the movement of his eyes so the two different visual feeds style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBeing able to see made him move much faster, turning right at the intersection and hurrying along, passing several large rodent animals that looked up at him in open curiosity as he rushed past style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had his mind open for other minds, hunting for any that descended to his level, and that was exactly what he detected in front of him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey knew where he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir sensor net could penetrate this deeply into the subsurface./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut, it also exposed their main weakness, and that was the fact that they had to send people down here after him, people with minds he could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Syndicate didn't employ robots or drones the way the Karinnes did, they didn't have any Rockers or Spot drones or anything of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe minds ahead of him were telepaths, which told him they were at least that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSending a non-telepath down here after him would have been the pinnacle of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe slowed to a stop and reached out, finding their six minds, and he struck with great speed and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSince they were telepaths, trying to dominate them would be too tricky for him to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDominating a telepath was a delicate operation that took a lot of precision to do without harming the victim, and he didn't have the time for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstead of using a scalpel, he instead used a club, overwhelming the six minds with sheer power and sending them into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe fact that he struck from so far away, before they could sense him since he was actively hiding his mind, added to the surprise and let him take all six down in a simultaneous attack that barely lasted a second./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt took him nearly ten minutes to reach their inert bodies, stepping through them where they'd been in a small chamber in an intersection waiting for him to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd as luck would have it for him, he only had to go about 400 more shakra to reach the abandoned style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt had been covered over, so there was no grate or door, and that required him to again resort to his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe melted through the tunnel wall the same way he'd melted through the elevator door, and again, he saved a piece of the metal and formed a disc out of it for him to use as a levitation aid—it was easier to levitate the disc and stand on it than it was for him to levitate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd he needed to do it this time, since the abandoned tunnel beyond the melted wall was partially flooded, with a good two shakra of stagnant, foul-smelling water on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe endured the awful smell as he moved down the passageway on his disc, keeping track of the minds down in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were none in the residential gallery ahead of him, mainly because it was so old that it probably didn't appear on some of their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut there were dozens of minds in the tunnels around him, who were now milling around, some reversing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir sensors told them which direction he was in, but their maps didn't show them how to reach style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe figured he had about ten minutes before someone in the city's planning department sent them updated maps showing the tunnels that were sealed over and abandoned, so he had to get ahead of them as much as he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe residential gallery was going to be dangerous because it was so open—/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe entire tunnel shook violently, and he heard a muted explosion style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDust and some stone fragments rained down from the roof and plunked into the water style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was another one, then another, and it was then that he realized that the ships over the city were firing their weapons at his current location, trying to collapse the tunnel he was in./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe knew they would fire on him and kill civilians, but they were willing to fire on him and deal damage to the city as well?/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat spurred him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knelt down on his disc, gripping the edge as best he could with his injured hand, and went as fast as he could without overheating the gestalt, managing to hit about 50 kathra an hour down the relatively straight style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ships above were adjusting their aim, so there was a constant rain of dust and small stones from the roof along his path, the dust adding to the stench to make it hard to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe winced when he got hit in the shoulder by a large stone, nearly making his arm go numb, then felt another one hit him in the face, cutting into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe put his other arm up to protect his face as he saw the end of the passage, then slowed to a stop in a bit of dismay when he got there./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey were stairs going style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe passage was emunderwater/em./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe had little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe formed a solid telekinetic shield around himself, then descended down into the foul style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat limited him to the air inside the shield, so he moved as quickly as he could, going down the stairs and down the passage, until he reached a large style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was the opening into the residential gallery, and he could only hope and pray that it wasn't flooded as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt spiked his gestalt to hold him up on the disc and maintain the shield emand/em open the hatch, pulling the locking bar and then having to exert force to pull it open, given that the door opened inward and that put the weight of the water against style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut to his relief, the chamber beyond was not flooded, so the water started to gush out of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe got out and ascended up over the door and then relaxed his power, which made the rushing water pull the door style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was at the south end of the residential gallery, which was a huge cavern with a ceiling a good fifty shakra overhead and the floor littered with small home units, placed almost randomly, which turned the streets around them into narrow, crooked thoroughfares that would quickly confuse and disorient anyone not familiar with their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBecause the Benga could break into the gallery at any time, he stayed down on those streets so he couldn't be seen, moving through them atop his disc with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had reason to be confident, he had a map of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe shelling from above continued, and the roof above shuddered and conducted large emBOOMS/em down into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe minds down in the tunnels were getting much closer, which told him that they now had updated maps and knew how to get into the gallery./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[Objective M no longer viable,]/em Kraal warned./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[What happened?]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[The gallery collapsed,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[New destination, Objective style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce Alpha achieved, Objective Q.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Alpha, understood,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he replied, changing direction now heading for the east side of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanObjective Alpha was an equipment cache, a special suit of Crusader armor rigged with Kimdori SCM for stealth, which he would need to get to Objective style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was very deep down into the subsurface, down so deep that the air was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe couldn't reach it without armor or some kind of breathing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe armor, however, changed his tactics. No one could see him and live now, because if they saw he had armor, then they'd know that he'd somehow smuggled the armor onto the planet, and that would alert them that the Kimdori had penetration into E Chaio./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanObjective Q was actually the smart choice, because it was so deep under the subsurface that they wouldn't be able to track him with their sensor system./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanObjective Alpha was in one of the abandoned service tunnels even deeper down than the gallery, part of a much older tunnel network that had been abandoned centuries style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could reach it from an old utility tunnel that went out from the east side of the gallery he was in, one that would have a major advantage for him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was an old sewer tunnel, and it wasn't sized for a Benga./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe much older tunnels were built back when E Chaio had many more non-Benga on it, who were used as slave labor to build the planet-spanning city, so many of their service and utility tunnels were sized for a person more Jason's size, not a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe armor stashed down there was in a tunnel a Benga couldn't enter, which was why it was selected to be a weapon cache style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat armor was built for him, so it had a tactical gestalt in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd that would also be a major boon, since it meant he no longer had to use the ones built into his arms, that had all but destroyed his hands./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe reached the tunnel quickly, which was under a grate in the floor of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt dropped down about thirty shakra and went north and south, and south would lead him down into the deeper sewer networks, which would then connect with the old tunnel network holding his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd have to double back almost halfway back to the capitol to get to it, and from there, he'd have to travel about 26 kathra to reach Objective style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was a beacon in one of the oldest intact residential galleries about 50 kathra from the capitol, and since it was specifically built for the "little races," the tunnels leading into it weren't big enough for Benga to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd that deep under the surface, nearly 300 shakra deep and just above the actual surface of the planet, their sensors wouldn't be able to find him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe embarely/em made it into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe destroyers above managed to blow a hole into the gallery just as he was lifting the grate out of the way, and he had to dive into the tunnel to escape getting crushed by falling style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe landing was bone-jarring, and he nearly broke his ankle on impact, but he managed to hobble out of the shaft and get into the dry sewer tunnel before the rubble above landed on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt sealed him into the tunnel, but luckily for him, he was in the right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt also meant that they had to dig out the tunnel to reach style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe paused to check his ankle, which was severely sprained but not broken, and that incited him to findspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanrelatively flat piece of rubble from the pile , sit down on it, and have it carry him down the sewer tunnel./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFor them not coming anywhere near him, they were certainly wearing him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had a laceration on his face and shoulder from falling debris, so he had blood on his face and inside his robes going down his arm, and now he had a nearly broken ankle that would make walking very style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut luckily he hadn't tired yet, so he was able to carry himself with his telekinetic power, sitting on the roughly elliptical piece of stone from the ceiling that had a flat top and having it float down the tunnel at a jogging style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tunnel around him continued to shudder from time to time as the sound of muted explosions reached his ears, as they continued to shell the surface to try to collapse the tunnel he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut he was much deeper now, deep enough that no dust was filtering down from the ceiling, and that provided him considerable style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey had no minds this deep, but there were more and more flooding the tunnels above him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey were looking for a way down./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt took him nearly half an hour, but he made style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe entered the small utility passage holding his armor, forcing him to abandon his disc and hobble nearly a kathra down the narrow tunnel, but he reached his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe quickly got his formal robes off, to where he stood naked, and then got his armor on, having to use telekinesis to do it since his fingers were all but style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut once he got his armor on, sealed, and activated, he merged up into it and moved his body using the armor, going limp inside and just letting the armor move for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wadded up his robes and stuffed them into a carry case and attached it to his back, then brought up the tactical style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Objective Alpha achieved,]/em he told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[All systems fully style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIs Objective Q still a go?]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Objective Q is go,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he answered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWith the armor, the entire game style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe armor was equipped with SCM, hiding itself and him from sensors, which meant that they couldn't trap style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had glide drives now, and he used them, skimming back up the tunnel the way he came, coming back out into the tunnel, and continuing down towards his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a large chamber ahead that once held a power switching station, and the entrance into the next level of tunnels below this one was in that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAgain, it was through a sewer pipe, the sewer draining into the unused tunnels below, though most of these old tunnels were fairly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd been lucky so far in that he'd only encountered one flooded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut he also knew that the danger of running into flooded tunnels increased the lower he got…which wasn't nearly as much a danger now that he was in armor./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe Benga wouldn't be able to easily follow him as he descended down into the sewer tunnel, followed it, then dropped down into an old mass transit tunnel that had to have been built a thousand years ago, but had not collapsed due to the metal used in the tunnel walls and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tunnel had ankle-deep water in it, and the air at this level was now toxic to most life, with barely any oxygen and filled with toxins and chemicals that emanated from decomposing materials and the toxic soup that drained down here from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was also getting hotter and hotter as he descended, which also made him glad he was in armor./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe paused to assess the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was now too deep for their ships to collapse the tunnels, it would cause entire sections of the city above to collapse, and he didn't think they were willing to go emthat/em style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was now under the sensor line Kraal drew for him on the maps, now too deep for their sensors to track him if for some reason the SCM in his armor style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were still Benga in the tunnels above him, swarming around quickly, steadily descending after him in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut with him now in armor equipped with Kimdori SCM, that meant that their hand scanners could no longer find style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey had lost him on their sensors, but they were still trying to swarm into the lower levels trying to find him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe other good news for him was that Objective Q was going to be more or less style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had to follow the subway line for about 16 kathra, where it intersected another subway line, then take that line to a dead style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat dead held an access tunnel to a deeper section, he'd go about 10 kathra through a series of tunnels and reach another access tunnel to an even deeper section, and that would connect to one of the original subterranean complexes on E Chaio, which was built for people his size, not style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce he was in that section, he had to travel about 30 kathra through a series of ancient mass transit tunnels, which would bring him to the gallery holding the beacon../span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe Benga weren't giving style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUnable to find him on sensors, they were now using telepaths to try to find his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe felt nearly fifty of them brush over him, unable to penetrate his telepathic stealth, a trick Ryn taught him that hid his mind completely from telepaths./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut, he realized, the major danger of this operation was now style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd gotten out of the building, he was in armor, and he was now too deep for their sensors to find style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had to remain alert, but his life was no longer in direct danger./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[I think I'm out of the worst of it, Kraal,]/em he informed his friend as he started out again, skimming at a fast pace down the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[I'm certainly not going to let down my guard, but I'm under the sensor line.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[I agree, but remain vigilant, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's when you think you've won the game that you most often lose.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Agreed.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt took him nearly twenty minutes to get to the access point to get down into the next level, and fifteen more to get to the one that reached the lowest style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd while the Benga weren't threatening him, though they were still swarming through the tunnels above looking for him, he felt more and more of a feeling of emforeboding/em as he got deeper and deeper under the surface. As he descended the vertical shaft into the original subterranean network, built just over the surface of the planet, he felt a strange dread roil through him, making him nervous and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe made his way through tunnels that hadn't known the footstep of a bipedal being in thousands of years, many of them partially collapsed or collapsed, many of them filled with water from just at his ankles to well over his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe air down here was beyond toxic, with virtually no oxygen and filled with pollutants and contaminants that would kill him in a matter of seconds if he took a single breath of it. He finally managed to reach the mass transit tunnel, which was much larger than the tunnels he'd traveled, flooded about four shakra deep with foul black style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was the home stretch, he knew, for the gallery was about ten kathra up the tunnel, and the beacon was set on top of one of the buildings within the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe skimmed over the surface of the water, dodging pieces of debris that had fallen out of the roof over the millennia, feeling that dread rise more and more within style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt increased even more when he entered the gallery, ascending on his engines and flying over the collapsed rubble below where most of the smaller buildings and houses had collapsed over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were only four buildings still standing, and his objective was one shaped more or less like a pyramid, which was probably why it survived this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe beacon was placed at the top./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe landed there a few moments later, looking at the beacon, which was hovering in midair, and from the looks of it, ready to link to the nexus style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Objective Q achieved,]/em he told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Have them open the nexus.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Linking is taking place right now, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanETA 43 seconds.]/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe had trouble focusing on Kraal's words, because the nameless dread had reached a fever style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned around and looked out over the gallery, unable to figure out what it was, but it was so powerful that his flesh was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe took several deep, cleansing breaths, trying to calm down, but he realized slowly that the feeling wasn't coming from emhim/em./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was emE style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was emE Chaio/em that was filled with dread!/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe knelt down, putting his armored hand on the roof of the pyramid, and he started making sense of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanE Chaio wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt—she—had allowed her children to do unspeakable things to her because they were emher children/em, and she loved style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe endured the pain, the torments they placed on her, but now…now she understood her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir hearts had closed to her, had closed to all love, and it had turned them into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe wanted her children to change, to be what they once were before they formed the Syndicate, and the nameless dread was that Jason would leave before she could convey her wishes./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe felt that her children could be redeemed, and she begged Jason to try to bring it about./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I…I don't know if I can," he whispered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They're so far gone, it would take a miracle to bring them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe darkness of their hearts has closed around them, made them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm not sure what I can do to reverse style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBesides, the change has to come from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI can't force their hearts to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey have to change on their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut…but I promise you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI can style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI doubt I will succeed, but I can try."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe world soul of E Chaio showed him an image, a memory of emotion, of where he could begin./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanGen Lun Ba Ru./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanJason style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGen was very different from other Benga, he had honor, and in a way, that honor made his heart less hard and callous than other style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd he understood her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf the heart of emone/em Benga could change, then that Benga could spread that change to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd over time, maybe thousands of years, the culture of the Benga just might change with their hearts./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt wouldn't be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt may take centuries, millennia, but for the soul of a planet, that wasn't much time at all./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I…I style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI will do as you ask," he said as the nexus bridge opened behind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"But I can't make any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI can only promise that we will try."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe dread instantly ended, replaced by contented anticipation./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Good luck, E Chaio," he said as he stood back style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned and saw the nexus bridge formed, swirling, waiting for him to step through style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe contemplated giving the Board one final tweak, or sending to the population, but he ruled against style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be best if he simply left, and let the Board stew of him lurking down here for a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would give the soldiers here some exercise, and maybe while they were down here, they might learn something about their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be best if he simply disappeared./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe stepped up to the nexus, put his armor into gate passage mode, and did just that./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe stepped through and into Nexus Three, where Songa and two other doctors, Miaari, Zaa, Jyslin, Dahnai, and Symone were waiting anxiously for him, watching him hobble towards them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis wife and emamu/em rushed towards him the instant the all clear was given, and they put his arms around their shoulders and helped him towards the hovering style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSonga quickly knelt down and started removing the sollaret of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemI was so worried!/em Jyslin told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemAre you alright, love?/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm alright," he said aloud as he took off his helmet, and one of the doctors started tending the jagged laceration on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Truth be told, that was far easier than I expected it to be," he told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I was able to get out of the building quickly, and that was what mattered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't even have to use Mrar's phasing trick."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Gloat later, dear," Songa said seriously as she got his boot off, then started working on the armor sections around his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Kraal sent word that your hands are injured?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, the gestalt cooked them from the heat," he answered, holding up his hands, which were stiffened into claws again, since he had to turn off power assist to get through the gate without blowing out the systems in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm not sure there's much you can do for them, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI think they'll have to come off."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOne of the other doctors removed his gauntlet, and Symone gasped when she saw his discolored had./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Holy shit, baby, what happened?" she asked, looking at his hand./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I told you, the heat more or less cooked my arms from the forearm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe heat sinks Rook installed in them weren't enough," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It would have boiled my blood and killed me if I hadn't taken steps."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Segments of your flesh are dead, your Grace," the doctor said, holding an instrument against his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It's going to turn necrotic very style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe'll have to remove it."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Like I said," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What about the spiders, cousin?" he asked, looking at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Did I get them?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Everyone in the room is infected, cousin," she replied with a proud style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They didn't leave after you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey stayed in the room to oversee the pursuit of you, and that gave the spiders time to reach style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe can flip that switch at any time."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That's up to the council, but I hope they wait a few style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI may have scared them into suing for peace."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We saw everything, baby," Dahnai told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Cybi had a tap on your senses, and she let us watch from your style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI had no idea you could be so fucking emscary/em, baby," she grinned./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Too right, babe, that whole just walking away without a care in the world shit was just classic," Symone agreed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That was the whole style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMake them believe that the last thing in the world they wanted to do was piss off the Confederation," he said, wincing a bit as the doctor probed at his injured style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe'd removed the vambrace and was probing his forearm, close to his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Yeah, doc, emthat/em part is alive," he said with a hiss of pain./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"This is a grade three sprain, dear, you need to keep weight off of it," Songa told him, standing back style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What about your shoulder?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I think it's still bleeding," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The cut there is pretty deep."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Let's get the rest of this armor off of him," Jyslin said./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey stripped him to the waist, and it wasn't a pretty style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth of his arms were obviously injured below the elbow, he had quite a few deep bruises in his shoulders and chest from the raining debris, a really nasty bruise on his left leg, a badly swollen ankle, and the laceration in his shoulder had bled all the way down to the waist, so his chest and stomach were streaked and smeared with both dried and fresh style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSonga stopped the bleeding with that liquid bandage they used, then the three doctors gave his arms a very long style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA camera pod floated over and projected a flat hologram in front of him, and he found himself looking at the Confederate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Are you alright, Jason?" Gau asked, who was standing at the speaker's podium in his usual resplendent style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had the gavel./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"A little worse for wear, but Miaari reports that my mission was a success," he answered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"His Grace has injuries that will require surgery, your Majesty," Songa style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm afraid he must be taken straight to the medical annex in Karsa and into a surgical theater as quickly as possible."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nothing life threatening, I hope?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It will only become life threatening if we do not operate quickly," she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We only have about two hours before he starts to suffer the first stages of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe must excise the dead tissue before it begins to release toxins into his bloodstream."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Miaari can give you a full report, Gau," Jason told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"As you heard, I've more or less been kidnapped by my doctor."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGau chuckled a bit when Songa lightly smacked him on the top of the head like a misbehaving child./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I will depart for the Hall of Peace immediately, your Grace," Miaari said with a nod, and she turned and headed for the landing bay./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Then we will receive the Handmaiden's report and consider it while you are being tended, Jason."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Sounds good to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSonga can inform you when I'm awake again."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Recover quickly, my style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe'll talk to you when you're awake."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhen the hologram winked out, Songa and another doctor pushed him fully up onto the gurney, raising the back so he could recline without laying style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We do need to get you there as quickly as we can, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut I'm afraid we don't have many options for your arms," she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We don't have any cloned tissue ready for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe can attach artificial limbs, or we can begin the regrowth process."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe looked down at his discolored arms, remembering what he was like when he had access to that kind of power all the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd that serene, cold, intimidating emkiller /emwas not who he wanted to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I don't want this gestalt," he said as he leaned style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Take the arms off, and put them somewhere far away from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanReplace my arms with endolimbs for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll decide later if I want cloned replacements."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe gave him a long look, then style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'll have Rook make them himself," she told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"But you should be ready, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis is going to take a while."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou doctors are so lazy, it takes you two hours just to tie your shoes," he smiled at her, which made her laugh./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm the one about to operate on you, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf you don't want me to accidentally amputate something different, you'd better be nice to me."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You cut emthat/em off, you answer to emthem/em," he said, nodding his head towards his wife and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat made everyone around the gurney laugh./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemDaira, 18 Demaa, 4405, Faey Orthodox Calendar/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThursday, 27 March 2019 Terran Standard Calendar/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDaira, 18 Demaa, year 1330 of the 97supth/sup Generation, Karinne Historical Reference Calendar/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemKarsa Medical Annex, Karsa, Karis/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was the second time he woke up to having no arms, but this time it wasn't quite so ghastly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"The arms attached to his lower humerus bones now were standard endolimbs, and that meant that the metal "bones" were covered in artificial muscles, which was itself wrapped in bandages to conceal it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was nearly 32 hours after they put him under, but that wasn't a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey probably had to do a lot of very delicate work to cut the old endoskeleton off of him and then implant the new ones, which were made out of standard foamed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was nothing they could do to remove the Abrallium from his humerus bones, but then again, there was no real need to do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Abrallium was only there to keep his upper arms from breaking, they weren't part of the gestalt they'd put in the arms, so he didn't really mind it all that much./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe'd be like Zora now, but with two arms instead of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe endolimbs weren't special or different from standard ones in any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo additional weapons, no little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could sense the control circuitry and the limiters within them, telling him the control circuitry was biogenic, and they were stock endolimb units, just as he'd requested./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe gestalt was gone…and that made him feel far more relief than he expected./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt didn't hit him until after he'd gotten out of there, how emfrightening/em it had been to display his power the way he had, and to do it without kindness or style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd killed using his power before, but never like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNever using his telekinesis to crush the life out of a man, or sever his carotid style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUsing his power like that in defense would have been one thing, but to have to pretend that it didn't bother him in the face of the Board, emthat/em was what bothered him the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was not that kind of person, and to have to act like it had disturbed him far more than he expected…and he was glad it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't emwant/em to get comfortable with the idea of killing people using his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't emwant/em to have to pretend that it didn't bother style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd played a solid game of deception with the Board, and now he was relieved beyond measure that he didn't have to pretend to be something he wasn't anymore./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe awoke to quite the little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe room was filled with his children and their mothers with the CBIMS and two CBMOMs and Rook in the back, along with Vell and Jenn, who were standing by the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was the core of his family, his children, their mothers, their mothers' husbands, and the biogenic units, and they were all packed in around the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRann and Shya were on his right, and Kyri and Aria were on his left, with the other kids surrounding the bed and their mothers behind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanKellin, Sirri, and Maer were also in the room, which was just fine with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were family, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemDad, thank Trelle you're awake!/em Rann sent happily, putting a hand on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll the others joined in sending their relief and happiness to see him awake, and that made him chuckle./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemI wish I could hug all of you, but right now I'm not doing much of anything,/em he noted, looking down at his arms, which lay limply at his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSee, guys, I told you I'd come style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd I keep my promises./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhat happened there, Daddy?/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" Kyri style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemThey said you were hurt pretty bad when you got back./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt could have been a lot worse,/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemTruth be told, it was much easier than I was expecting it to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI took them by surprise so much, they didn't really put up much of a fight when I left./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSo the gestalt worked?/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" Min asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemMore or less…but it did more damage to me than they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm glad to be rid of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't like how it made me feel at all./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhat do you mean?/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI mean, I wasn't meant to be what the gestalt turned me into,/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he answered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemI don't want to feel like that, ever style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo I had them take the gestalt off, and I hope I never so much as see it again./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBoth Jyslin and Dahnai gave him long, searching looks, then Jyslin seemed to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe leaned down and kissed him tenderly on the forehead, having to push Rann and Shya out of the way to do it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemAlright, everyone, you had your chance to say hello,/em Songa called from outside the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYou'll need to clear out for a bit so we can give him an exam, then you can come backspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn smaller groups,/em she added as she opened the door./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey reluctantly cleared out—well, everyone but Amber, she made it quite clear that she wasn't going anywhere—and he endured a fairly long examination. Songa checked the work done implanting the endolimbs, examining the border between his flesh and the artificial muscles and synthetic flesh under it, then explained what would happen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemOver the next four days, dear, you'll undergo sixteen different treatments to grow your own flesh over the endolimb,/em she told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemThere will also be some assimilation training, since you've never had a cybernetic prosthetic style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn about two takirs, though, you'll be back to playing the piano, dear, that's a promise,/em she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYou'll have some use of your hands in about three days, when we finish the procedure enough to activate the endolimbs and allow you to move them without damaging the work we've done, but you won't have full and complete dexterity in them until you complete assimilation training./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSounds good,/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he answered as Amber laid down on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Hey now, I am not a bed," he complained, which caused her to look at him with scathing disregard before laying her chin down on the base of his ribs and watching him, as if he'd disappear if she looked away./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"She was a complete wreck while you were gone, dear," Songa told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Not even Rann could calm her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't think she's going to let you out of her sight for a while."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe gave an agreeing little yip, narrowing her eyes at him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe had to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"See, I'm okay, mommy," he told her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"A little dinged up, but mostly fine."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe turned her head very slowly and all but glared at the endolimb on his right arm./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That's nothing that Songa can't fix," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"So calm down, you silly little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm home, I'm going to be alright, and I love you too."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe didn't look style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe just laid there, as if her tiny body was holding him down, and just stared at him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Would you do me a favor and pet her by proxy, Songa?" he asked, which made her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSonga smiled down at her and did as he asked, patting her gently on the head, then scratching her behind her ears./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It's going to be fine, little girl," Songa style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We'll get him all fixed up in no time, that's a promise."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAmber just gave a squeaky little growl, continuing to stare at him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That means you'd better, or she'll be mad at you," Jason told Songa with a chuckle./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"In five days, he'll be out of the annex and back style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAbout fifteen days after that, it'll be like this never happened," Songa promised her, pointing at his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"That's not so long, is it?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAmber just slowly blinked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Such a mother hen," Jason sighed, which made Songa smile down at him and Amber give him a challenging style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Alright, you can stay here in the room with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut no complaining about hospital food," he warned./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe rose back up to a seated position, giving a happy little yip as her two tails almost writhed behind her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, so that's what that was all about," Songa chuckled in a soft voice./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"She'll be bored inside an hour," Jason predicted./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, I'm sure she'll be quite happy to be bored, as long as he gets to be bored with you," Songa told him, then leaned down and kissed Amber on the head style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You keep an eye on him, my little girl, while I go fetch something I need."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAmber settled herself on the bed beside him—trying to get under the covers, as usual—and was quiet witness to a series of visits from his kids, from his friends, and then from people at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut she was also there for the guards returning to the room, returning to him, and got to see Aya hug him fiercely before giving him a kiss full on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYou will never, ever do anything like that again,/em she stated adamantly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanemYou're right, I'm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm done with heroics,/em he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemAnd I never want to do /emthatem style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe gestalt, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI've used them before, but it never felt—I never felt like a /emweaponem until that moment, when the gestalt was a part of me, and I was a part of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMen were never meant to have that kind of power at their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't ever want to feel like that again, feel like it's so easy to kill style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI had them take the gestalt off, and I don't even want to see it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll never imprint to a tactical like it's a standard gestalt interface again./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAya put her hand on his shoulder, then gave him a glorious style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYou have no idea how relieved we are to hear that,/em she told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemBut we're still going to have to punish you./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI'll have endolimbs by then, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou really wanna go there?/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAya smiled wolfishly at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemThey won't save you./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI'm game to find out if you are,/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he replied with a gentle style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemNow if it's alright with you guys, you can start letting them in./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhen I say so,/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" Songa chided him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAfter nearly two very enjoyable hours with friends and family, he got the bad part of it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe joined the council in session from his bed, using a flat hologram projected at the foot of his bed, as Cybi sat on the side of his bed with her bionoid and Cyra on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe gave them another accounting of the meeting, and then told them at least parts of his escape, downplaying the parts that would make him look even more frightening to them than he did to himself. He also didn't tell them about E Chaio whispering to him, since they wouldn't understand style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It just comes down to when we throw the swtich," Jason style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm of a mind to ask to hold off a couple more days to see what they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI think I scared them pretty badly," he said in a low, nearly emotionless voice as the memory of that washed over him. "We have about three days before we have to make a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd I know this sounds weird, but I'd like to give them the chance to do the right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf they have to die, I want it to be because of their own wrong choices, not just to get them out of the way."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I think we can afford to hold off a couple of days," Assaba style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They haven't completed the assembly of their fleets yet, so we have time."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Have they contacted us while I was under?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Not them, but the Consortium has," Gau style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They want to open negotiations for a peace style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd ask for help."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Help?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It seems they knew about your drives style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't know how, but they knew," Gau style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They want to negotiate our help evacuating their civilians from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd that, at least, I find style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey're trying to save lives," he said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They offered a peace treaty with their military if we transport their civilians to another galactic formation within the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey don't want to send their people here, they want them somewhere the Syndicate can't find them," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Somewhere it would take the Syndicate decades to reach them."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe looked at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[That's /emourem plan.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[It seems they had the same idea,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" she noted./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[It only makes sense, so it's not a big surprise it occurred to them,]/em Cybi added./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The Consortium is the reason I had to reveal the drives," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We found out they found out about the drives, because of their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey saw my ships doing translight style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't want you to find out about them from them, so I revealed them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut we don't object to that peace style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe've been kicking around that very same idea to secure peace with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOffer to send them somewhere far, far away where the Syndicate can't bother them and they can't bother us, and let them try to rebuild their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCyra, did Pete get to his destination?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"He's there now, he arrived just twenty six hours ago," she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Scans so far look favorable."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"For what?" Gau asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"One my advance scout ships is scouting for a place for the Consortium to go," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They're in a galaxy outside of our cluster, G-112-171-B on our style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe chose it because it would take the Consortium nearly twelve thousand years to jump back to our galaxy from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf Pete finds the galaxy favorable, then we were going to offer to send the Consortium style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of them. style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would cede Andromeda to the Syndicate and start over in a new galaxy."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What's favorable?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Sufficient life-sustaining planets to support their population with a lack of spacefaring or sentient races for them to conquer," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"My oath applies to the emConsortium/em as much as it does the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe can't get them there and allow them to conquer the indigenous civilizations, to enforce their wills on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe oath of the Karinnes forbids style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf Pete finds that the galaxy meets our requirements, I was going to talk the council into letting me handle the negotiations with the Consortium, since I could offer them a way out of the trap that they're style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI know that won't sit well with some members of the council," he said, glancing at Sk'Vrae, "but it seemed the best way to go about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would get the Consortium completely out of the picture without bloodshed."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We can discuss that today," Gau noted./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, odds are I won't be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn about an hour, I'll be undergoing the next procedure on these new arms," he told style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They're going to encase them in a nutrient feeder system to promote the rapid growth of my flesh over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey have to sedate me for that, which is why I'm not in a bionoid style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce that's done, most likely I'm just gonna abandon my body for the next few days and live in my style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt beats sitting here in this bed, unable to so much as scratch my nose."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCyra reached over and did that, which made Cybi laugh. "Gee, thanks," he said caustically, which made her wink at him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"If you could send us everything you have on that plan, we can look over it and add it to our discussions," Gau said./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Sure, Cybi has it in her memory, she can send you the files," he replied, looking over at her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I just sent it to you, your Majesty," she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It should be in your lectern computer now."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I have it," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'll send this out to all council members, and I think a two hour recess to study it is in order," he decided./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe council did indeed recess for two hours, allowing him to cancel the hologram and lean back in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Here's hoping they go for it,]/em he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Since I've been so busy the last couple of takirs, is the CBIM installation still on schedule?]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Tomorrow,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[The core crystal will finish tempering in 19 style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSiyhaa has already assigned the installation teams, and you're not on them.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Bullshit am I not on them,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" he communed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[She boxed me out of being there for Cora's installation, no way in hell I'm missing a CBIM style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough, I won't get to be there in person,]/em he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[But still, I'm not about to miss the birth of the newest member of my style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd if Siyhaa has a problem with that, she's going to look awfully silly hanging from the top of the 3D flagpole by her hooves, showing the entire world what she wears under her robes.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanCybi gave him an amused style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Such a meanie,]/em she teased./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[This is /emmyem planet, damn style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of you live here by my whim,]/em he retorted style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had to laugh when both Cybi and Cyra slapped each of his shoulders in perfect style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Well, I /emsupposeem I can let you two stay, if only because you amuse me,]/em he communed grandly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span[Don't let him get away with that bullshit, Cybi,]/span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;" Cyvanne injected./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[He'd better be glad I don't have a bionoid there right now,]/em Cynna agreed cheekily./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[Be nice, girls, he's had a rough couple of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLet him recover, /emthenem get him back,]/em Cylan suggested./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[If he's stuck in that bed, he can't get away,]/em Coma noted lightly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[There's no sport in that,]/em Cyrsi observed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem[I don't think this is about sport, Cyrsi,]/em Cora style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem[Then again, Jason himself isn't very style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere's nothing wrong with cheating against a cheater.]/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'd say you're back home now, Jason," Cybi winked as she spoke aloud./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 18.0pt;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe had to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It sure sounds like it," he replied with a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"And you have no idea how happy that makes me."/span/p 


End file.
